Decor Trend: Neon Lights

You’ve probably seen the neon lights trend popping up all over the internet lately. I started noticing them a couple years ago, and I’ll admit at first I didn’t get it.

“Wow, hello 1986,” I thought at the time.

Now I can’t get enough of them.

Done well, I think they read like an irreverently modern art installation…the glow is just bonus. They have a shock and awe affect that’s unlike anything else. Done poorly, and neon lights can look gaudy and very dated. There’s a fine line, friends.

(Image above is the office of blogger Monika Hibbs.)
This room designed by EM Design Interiors was the game changer for me. I was working on a teen “lounge” for a client and I came across this during the inspiration phase. The neon light makes the entire room. It’s just perfect in this modern, glam room that’s sweetly feminine and youthful.

The small scale “heroine” neon light perfectly contrasts and brightens up a moody and modern console table. I love everything about this space by designer Tamara Magel. (Her work is stunning and worth checking out.)

You’ll notice I share mostly original photography with you guys on Decor Fix, but today’s round up is a rare exception.Sadly I have no neon light to love in my own home, so I scoured the internet to find only the most gorgeous rooms with neon signs.

This chic and minimalist bedroom of Austin interior designer Elizabeth Stanley is so my flavor. Simple, crisp, relaxing…and the pup is a nice touch, huh? (Photos by Ryann Ford. Home tour here.)
This “enjoy” light is a fun statement piece and a modern counterpart to a very rustic table. It is actually not a dining room, but rather the studio of Enjoy Events Co. (Image via Glitter Guide)

If you peek in the corner if this colorful living room, you’ll see a neon light hanging above the piano. I can’t really make out what it says…Probably something clever. (Madeleine Grummet’s living room via The Design Files.)

OK, would you believe that this is a nursery?? It has to be the most glam and posh space a tiny baby every inhabited. Designer Shannon Wollack created this space for her daughter Poppy. (Full room tour on Domaine Home.)

Here’s a sweet little neon light in a “big kids” room. How fun would this be at a sleepover? No need for a night light. (Image source)

I can’t think of a more ironically perfect placement of a neon light than above a bar cart. Seriously. It just works. For obvious reasons. I love how the light looks against the brick in Alisa Ritcher’s NYC apartment. (Image via Design*Sponge)

This is a fun little guy above an art poster. A neon light seems completely at home in this environment. (Image source)

Here is a fun pastel +rock & roll lounge look created by designer Brian Patrick Flynn for Sunbrella. Brian used the words from his favorite Sheryl Crow song for the neon light. (Image via Domaine Home)

WHERE TO BUY OR DIY?You guys, neon lights are not cheap. You can have custom signs made at That Neon Sign starting at $750. If you live in a large city, you’ll probably be able to find a place locally that can help you out. Emily Henderson had some great tips on that here.

Normally when I can’t afford a decor splurge, I look for a DIY. I’ve searched for DIY’s but haven’t really found any good options. The picture below from Apartment Therapy shows a rope light DIY masquerading as a neon light. I think they pull it off well, but it just doesn’t have the same impact as the real deal.

NEON LIGHTS…A POLARIZING TREND
I’ve proposed the idea of a neon sign to a couple clients. One for my fav coffee shop and 2nd “office”, The Coffee Ethic. The other for a client who just couldn’t go there.

As much as I love neon lights right now, I realize they’re definitely not for everyone or every space.
I think experimenting with trends like this is fun and can help inspire us to take risks in our homes.

As long as you try out trends intentionally (knowing they likely won’t become “heirloom pieces”) and don’t blow your sofa budget on a novelty sign, then you’re free to try anything.

Q: What do you guys think about neon lights? Love em’ or just can’t go there?

Comments

I actually really like the neon trend. I think it can modernize a space in an instant…and can add so much personality through whatever quote you want to display. I had not heard of that source before. I will bookmark it.

I just found your blog today, after connecting with you on Instagram. I went binge reading your blog posts. Can I say I just fell in love with your style and your home? And you take beautiful photographs too. Happy to follow along and thanks for all the inspiration.

These are really cool ideas! Yes, I get how they can be considered to be 1986 like you said, but in the end, they constitute a strong uniqueness in the home. I have always wanted to get a neon sign in my house. However, after you mentioned they usually cost around $750, I realized that I will need to save up money for the next few months to afford one.

I love the neon trend. I have been seeing a lot of beautiful neon sign used in fashion and music videos. As much as I love the traditional gas neon signs, I also have discovered tech-leading LED neon signs. They are very cost and electricity effective. I highly recommend http://www.hineon.com./ They have so much potential into building more beautiful art pieces.

I just want to congratulate you, for this very informative piece of work on trending Neon Signs.
Traditionally, Neon Signs has been always related it with business advertising, but you very well recognize, how the new trend has take the awesome Neon brightness and art to new areas.

On a Serious Note

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